Monday, December 31, 2012

“The Government of Somaliland congratulates its people on successful local elections

Press Release

- The Government of the Republic of Somaliland welcomes the outcome of Somaliland’s November 28th local elections, our latest in a series of several presidential, parliamentary and local elections stretching back to 2002.

Following a successful period of peaceful campaigning and voting in which the country’s hard-won 21 years of stability was maintained, the election results have finally been tabulated and verified. We would like to congratulate all the local counselors, mayors and governors on their successes, while also commending those who have lost for respecting the results and maintaining the dignity of the country’s democratic process. We echo the praise of the international election observers of our people’s sincere commitment to democracy.

The government and the people of Somaliland would like to thank international donors, implementing organisations and election observers for again showing their commitment to assisting our country’s consolidation of democracy. Such financial and technical support was crucial to the peaceful and smooth completion of the elections, and we hope such support will only continue in advance of Somaliland’s upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

Our democratic path continues to stand out as a shining example of the democratic potential inherent to the peoples of the Horn of Africa and the continent as a whole, and we have seen encouraging progress in many areas, such as the increased participation of youth and women as voters and candidates and the use of the judicial system to resolve electoral disputes. But as democratic practices become further institutionalized, new challenges will unavoidably arise, and our people must be brave and spirited enough to learn from those challenges.

We therefore take heed and are prepared to address the recommendations of the international election observers to put in place a robust and effective voter/citizen registration system to guarantee the integrity of each and every vote. Our government institutions and civil society organisations are already exploring ways to make this a reality. We call on the international community to support these efforts.

With each passing election, Somaliland’s commitment to stability, peace, democracy and the fight against extremism becomes more evident. Underpinning this commitment is the Somaliland people’s belief that to compromise these values would be to not only undermine the country’s potential for development and growth, but also create a setback in the efforts of neighboring countries and the international community in reestablishing peace throughout the Horn of Africa.

Press Office Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation